Teamwork
by VixenReborn
Summary: Sometimes, you just have to take one for the team. Zukaang


**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. But stories like this make me wish I at least owned Zuko.**

**A/N: For the love of all things wonderful, I wish I had the ability to write more of this, but I know I would just slaughter the verse. **

**Warning: Very mild Hazing?**

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Zuko looked down at his buttoned shirt. His fingers fidgeted with the first button before undoing it. His golden eyes roamed to the smaller boy beside him that was wearing nothing more then boxers. Silver eyes landed on him and he went back to slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He stopped at about half way facing to the boy.

"This is so stupid, Aang. I can't do this."

He turned to leave, but a tattooed hand grabbed his arm. He cast a look back and found an almost pleading look on the boy's face. He gave a sigh of frustration and rumpled his already all over the place hair. He stared down at his shirt and gave in to undoing the rest of the buttons. Shyly, he held the shirt closed. The boy gave him an encouraging smile that he both hated and felt grateful for. He reluctantly and slowly slid the shirt off. He dropped it onto top of his boots that he had already removed. He couldn't be bothered to fold it.

The moment the shirt was off, he felt eyes roving over his chest and back. He knew he had nothing to be ashamed of. It was well toned through hockey, along with the rest of his muscles. He even had a light tan. He still felt his cheeks flush a bit though. The silver eyes seemed to drink in the sight with a mixture of awe and something Zuko could easily guess. It also wasn't hard to guess that they were hungry for more with the way they roamed continually lower. He tried to ignore the effects the blatant desire was having on him. He tried to gain control of himself as his hands rested on his pants button.

"You are almost done, Zuko. Just your pants left," Aang tried to say offhandedly.

It wasn't working. Zuko could tell the boys voice was a bit huskier then usual, but also more breathy. He wanted to shut off his thoughts, but his body seemed to be working against him.

"I still think this has to be the stupidest idea ever," Zuko said stalling for time.

"You're not afraid, are you?" Aang questioned with his eyes promising things his voice couldn't.

Zuko mentally slapped himself a few times and voiced his thoughts, "Yeah right!"

He quickly undid the button and zipper and had his pants down in an instant. He was slipping out of them and putting them on his shirt when he suddenly felt very foolish. He hadn't pulled his eyes off of his pants when his skin broke out in gooseflesh from the feeling of being watched. He had totally been suckered into pulling off his last defense. Zuko searched for a distraction.

"Zuko, you-" Aang began, but was cut off as Sokka poked his head into the locker room.

"You guys are so slow, the snow is going to be over before you finally get out here," Sokka chastised.

"Sorry, I am still trying to understand the point of this," Zuko said.

Sokka rolled his eyes and gestured for them to follow. They walked out of the enclosure that their lockers were located in and past several other such areas before finally making it to the door. Sokka rested his hand on the knob.

"It's been a custom out here that started since before my dad was a player here. Every year during the first snow, the team get together and go out hunting snow hares. The first person to find one wins. They are usually crowned the luckiest person, given that they got not only one rabbits foot, but four rabbit feet," Sokka explained.

"And the reason why we are practically naked?" Zuko asked.

"We are a hockey team. We got to get used to the cold of the season one way or another. At least we stopped the lake jumping in mid winter," Sokka pointed out.

"If you guys still did that, I'm sure I would have to move again," Zuko said mostly to himself.

"That would be such a shame when you just got here too," Aang said.

"Yeah, Zuko. You have only been here a month and you have already proven that you are one of the best players for the team. I can easily see you surpassing our current MVP. You were really cramming Jet into the ice during practice. The whole team seems to have shaped up around you. Even Aang is finally taking practice seriously. At this rate, I'll have to turn over the captain position to you within a year," Sokka added.

While they talked, the rest of the team seemed to form up around them. It had been a habit since Zuko had joined that he noticed. Where ever he happened to go, the team seemed to follow like lost baby ducks. It had been a real change and adjustment from living in the shadows back in the south. Zuko couldn't really blame the people there though. Hockey was a cold weather sport there, here it was an every day sport. Almost a way of life, like it had been for him even there. He admitted to himself that even though they had silly and strange customs about some things, it was a great place to be.

Sokka took a look around and gave a nod to his team before opening the door. The cold air blasted in and Zuko found a dozen different hands on him shoving him out the door. The team members surrounded him and he got caught up in their pace. They moved about going through the gated area that was off limits to non members. The sound of cheering caught Zuko's attention and his eyes widened when he found the source.

Once they made it out of the gated area the wilderness was just a short distance away, but that short distance was packed with town members. People he had seen only briefly and some that he had the chance to talk to. Three girls that he recognized from his interactions with Sokka and Aang went by the names of Toph, Katara, and Suki. They all whistled loudly and cheered with the crowd. He wasn't sure if he was blushing anymore due to the cold. He lost himself in the middle of the crowd and passed into the trees with the rest of the group, but then everyone scattered. He could still make out the calls of the crowd, but ignored them and quickly went to task. He would hate to freeze before his first big game.

The large puffy flakes that fell seemed to melt almost before reaching the ground. The fall season had been uncommonly warm for such a northern town. The ground had seemed to soak in as much warmth as if it knew of the coming months ahead. This snow wouldn't stick, but it was certainly nice to watch. He bare feet landed awkwardly on that cold, but not frozen ground. He tried to remember the tips his uncle had told him about rabbit hunting and decided at this point he was willing to do anything to get him back in his pants.

He leaned closer to the ground and clapped his hands loudly and shook bushes that he passed. He had passed several small animals long before he had any sight of what he even suspected to be a rabbit. Just as he was beginning to convince himself that it wasn't quite cold enough for frostbite, he shook a bush halfheartedly and was rewarded by bunny hopping out practically at his feet. Zuko was so shock he just stared at it for a moment as it started to hop away.

"Get back here!" Zuko half shouted at the rabbit like it would listen.

The rabbit began to sprint away. Zuko picked up the pace and gave chase. When he thought he was finally closing in, the rabbit would take a turn and he would have to shift and go after it. It made a gap, but Zuko wasn't such a good player for nothing. He could feel the gap closing. Right when he was ready to pounce, the rabbit took a sudden jump and dive into some undergrowth. Zuko was just about to give up rabbit as lost when Aang appeared at the other side. A quick idea formed.

"Aang! Heads up. You're goalie!" Zuko shouted.

He shook the hedge like undergrowth and clapped his hands. He moved about forcing the rabbit in Aang's direction. Aang took a step back and it worked perfectly. The rabbit ran out nearly right in front of him, but before it could take off around him, the agile boy had managed to grab hold of it. Zuko came out of the bushes and walked over to Aang. The smaller boy tried to offer him the rabbit, but Zuko shook his head.

"I may have chased him, but you actually got him. It's your win. Now let's get out of here while I still have any feeling left," Zuko said.

"Zuko, you did all the work," Aang said shaking his head.

"Its called team work. Now, come on. I'm freezing."

Aang led the way, because Zuko was too proud to admit that he honestly had no idea how to get back. The trip back was shorter then Zuko had expected and was spent in silence. Zuko wouldn't go so far to call it comfortable as he couldn't shake the looks that younger boy was giving him.

Since he had arrived, Aang hadn't actually came out and told him of his feelings, but the boy wasn't exactly hiding them either. Aang was of the wrong persuasion, but his open emotions left a feeling in Zuko's stomach that he couldn't deny. He had a feeling that after today's fiasco, things were probably bound to be much more interesting. Something he hadn't expected in such a small northern town.

When they reached the edge of the forest, Aang came running out with the rabbit in hands. All the people screamed and cheered. Some of their team waited on them; the few that had given up due to cold. Aang was grabbed by his friends and given a blanket. Zuko watched from the edge of the forest. It was a place he was accustomed to being. The excitement of everyone was enough to make him forget his own cold. The crowd ran off with Aang, most likely to get him dressed and probably do some winner ceremony, but Zuko decided to use the opportunity to slip back into the locker room unnoticed.

He stood a moment behind the door of the locker room, letting the heat wash over him. Feeling slowly returning to his too cold body. The snow had stopped shortly after he was out looking, but the chill in the air had still kept him feeling frozen. He nearly jumped out of his skin as the door opened and closed behind him. He spun to face the newcomer. He was greeted by Aang with a grin that stretched ear to ear. The boy quickly closed the distance between them. Arms wrapped around his shoulders while the boys body pressed against him and rested momentarily, but with a quick flourish the blanket that was covering Aang was now around Zuko's shoulders. He felt his face burn a bit, but blamed it on the warming process.

"So... How does it feel to be the luckiest player?" Zuko said casting about for conversation.

"I'm certainly feeling pretty lucky right-" Aang began, but was cut off.

"AAAAAAANNNGGG! The ceremony is supposed to be starting and you just left!" Sokka cried.

"Forget what I said... I take it all back," Aang said rolling his eyes as he left the locker room with Sokka.

Zuko wrapped the blanket tighter around himself and walked to his clothes. Mildly he began to wonder if Sokka was going to be his best friend or his worst enemy.

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FN: If anyone wants to take up from this story, you freely have my permission I just ask that you message me/review/ or send a carrier pigeon for all I care, I just want to be able to read it.

Prompt: Strange customs (#11 of 50)


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